ای بسا زراق گول بی‌وقوف ** از ره مردان ندیده غیر صوف
Oh, there is many a stupid ignorant hypocrite who has seen nothing of the Way of the (holy) men except the woollen mantle (súf).
ای بسا شوخان ز اندک احتراف ** از شهان ناموخته جز گفت و لاف
Oh, there are many impudent fellows who, with little practice (in the religious life), have learned from the (spiritual) kings nothing but talk and brag.
هر یکی در کف عصا که موسی‌ام ** می‌دمد بر ابلهان که عیسی‌ام 1425
Every one (of them), staff (rod) in hand, says, “I am Moses,” and breathes upon the foolish folk, saying, “I am Jesus.”
آه از آن روزی که صدق صادقان ** باز خواهد از تو سنگ امتحان
Alas the Day when the touchstone will demand from thee the sincerity of the sincere!
آخر از استاد باقی را بپرس ** یا حریصان جمله کورانند و خرس
Come, inquire of the Master (what is) the remainder (of the Way); or are the greedy ones all blind and deaf?
جمله جستی باز ماندی از همه ** صید گرگانند این ابله رمه
You craved all and you lost all: this foolish flock are the prey of wolves.
صورتی بنشینده گشتی ترجمان ** بی‌خبر از گفت خود چون طوطیان
Having heard a form (of words), you have become its expounder, (though) ignorant of (the meaning of) your words— like parrots.
تمثیل تلقین شیخ مریدان را و پیغامبر امت را کی ایشان طاقت تلقین حق ندارند و با حق‌الف ندارند چنانک طوطی با صورت آدمی الف ندارد کی ازو تلقین تواند گرفت حق تعالی شیخ را چون آیینه‌ای پیش مرید هم‌چو طوطی دارد و از پس آینه تلقین می‌کند لا تحرک به لسانک ان هو الا وحی یوحی اینست ابتدای مسله‌ی بی‌منتهی چنانک منقار جنبانیدن طوطی اندرون آینه کی خیالش می‌خوانی بی‌اختیار و تصرف اوست عکس خواندن طوطی برونی کی متعلمست نه عکس آن معلم کی پس آینه است و لیکن خواندن طوطی برونی تصرف آن معلم است پس این مثال آمد نه مثل
The instruction given by a Shaykh to disciples, or by a prophet to a people, who are unable to receive the Divine lesson and have no familiar acquaintance with God, may be compared with the case of a parrot which has no such acquaintance with the (inward) form of a man, so that it should be able to receive instruction (directly) from him. God most High holds the Shaykh in front of the disciple, as the mirror (is held) in front of the parrot, while He (Himself) dictates from behind the mirror, saying, “Do not move thy tongue to hasten it (the Revelation); it is naught but an inspiration that is inspired (by God).” This is the beginning of an endless problem. When the parrot, which ye call the image, moves its beak in the mirror, the movement is not (made) by its own volition and power: it is the reflexion of the (movement made in) articulation by the parrot outside, which is the learner; not the reflexion of (the movement made by) the Teacher behind the mirror; but the external parrot's articulation is controlled by the Teacher. This, then, is (only) a comparison, not a (complete) similitude.
طوطیی در آینه می‌بیند او ** عکس خود را پیش او آورده رو 1430
A parrot sees its reflexion (image) facing it in the mirror.
در پس آیینه آن استا نهان ** حرف می‌گوید ادیب خوش‌زبان
The teacher is concealed behind the mirror: that sweet-tongued well-instructed man is talking.
The little parrot thinks that these words uttered in low tones are spoken by the parrot in the mirror.
پس ز جنس خویش آموز سخن ** بی‌خبر از مکر آن گرگ کهن
Therefore it learns (human) speech from one of its own kind, being unaware of the cunning of that old wolf.
از پس آیینه می‌آموزدش ** ورنه ناموزد جز از جنس خودش
He is teaching it behind the mirror; otherwise (it would not talk, for) it does not learn except from its congeners.
گفت را آموخت زان مرد هنر ** لیک از معنی و سرش بی‌خبر 1435
It (really) learned to talk from that accomplished man, but it is ignorant of his meaning and mystery.
از بشر بگرفت منطق یک به یک ** از بشر جز این چه داند طوطیک
It received speech, word by word, from Man; (but) what should the little parrot know of Man except this?
هم‌چنان در آینه‌ی جسم ولی ** خویش را بیند مردی ممتلی
Similarly, the disciple full (of egoism) sees himself in the mirror of the Shaykh's body.
از پس آیینه عقل کل را ** کی ببیند وقت گفت و ماجرا
How should he see Universal Reason behind the mirror at the time of speech and discourse?
او گمان دارد که می‌گوید بشر ** وان گر سرست و او زان بی‌خبر
He supposes that a man is speaking; and the other (Universal Reason) is a mystery of which he is ignorant.
حرف آموزد ولی سر قدیم ** او نداند طوطی است او نی ندیم 1440
He learns the words, but the eternal mystery he cannot know, for he is a parrot, not a boon-companion.
هم صفیر مرغ آموزند خلق ** کین سخن کار دهان افتاد و حلق
Likewise, people learn the note of birds, for this speech (of birds) is an affair of the mouth and throat;
لیک از معنی مرغان بی‌خبر ** جز سلیمان قرانی خوش‌نظر
But (all are) ignorant of the birds' meaning, except an august Solomon of goodly insight.
حرف درویشان بسی آموختند ** منبر و محفل بدان افروختند
Many learned the language of (true) dervishes and gave lustre therewith to the pulpit and assembly-place.
یا به جز آن حرفشان روزی نبود ** یا در آخر رحمت آمد ره نمود
Either nothing was bestowed upon them except those (formal) expressions, or at last (the Divine) mercy came and revealed the (right) way.
صاحب‌دلی دید سگ حامله در شکم آن سگ‌بچگان بانگ می‌کردند در تعجب ماند کی حکمت بانگ سگ پاسبانیست بانگ در اندرون شکم مادر پاسبانی نیست و نیز بانگ جهت یاری خواستن و شیر خواستن باشد و غیره و آنجا هیچ این فایده‌ها نیست چون به خویش آمد با حضرت مناجات کرد و ما یعلم تاویله الا الله جواب آمد کی آن صورت حال قومیست از حجاب بیرون نیامده و چشم دل باز ناشده دعوی بصیرت کنند و مقالات گویند از آن نی ایشان را قوتی و یاریی رسد و نه مستمعان را هدایتی و رشدی
A mystic saw a bitch big with young, in whose womb the young were barking. He remained in amazement, saying, “The reason of a dog's barking is to keep watch (against strangers): to bark in the mother's womb is not (for the purpose of) keeping watch; and, again, barking may be a call for help, or its cause may be a desire for milk, etc.; and there is no such purpose in this case.” When he came to himself, he made supplication to God—and none knoweth the interpretation thereof except Allah. Answer came: “It represents the state of a party who pretend to (spiritual) insight and utter (mystical) sayings without having come forth from the veil (of materiality) and before the eyes of their hearts have been opened. Thence neither to themselves do strength and support accrue, nor to their hearers any guidance and right direction.”
آن یکی می‌دید خواب اندر چله ** در رهی ماده سگی بد حامله 1445
During a chila (forty days' religious seclusion), a certain man dreamed that he saw a bitch big with young on a road.
ناگهان آواز سگ‌بچگان شنید ** سگ‌بچه اندر شکم بد ناپدید
Suddenly he heard the cry of puppies: the puppies were in the womb, invisible.
بس عجب آمد ورا آن بانگها ** سگ‌بچه اندر شکم چون زد ندا
The yelps astonished him exceedingly: (he wondered) how the puppies called out in the womb.